起信論疏筆削記 9.50

9.50

Fourth, concluding the contemplation. The Commentary explains: "The most subtle among thoughts": hence the text below states: "The consciousness arisen from the vāsanā of avidyā cannot be fully known even up to the bodhisattva's ultimate bhūmi; only a buddha thoroughly comprehends it." "The mark of arising": assigning it to the four marks, because among the nine it is [the mark of] karma, and among the four it is named [the mark of] arising. Now, in terms of the four stages, it must be so assigned. Moreover, because the Śāstra has no mention of the phrase "mark of arising," just as the previous stage of ordinary beings also lacked the phrase "mark of cessation," the Commentary also assigns it. "This mark..." and so forth: the preceding stages merely said "by abandoning," "by departing," etc., without the word "distancing." Now, because the mark of karma is the most subtle and there is nothing more subtle to serve as the root of this mark, having awakened to and comprehended it with nothing remaining, it is truly called "distancing oneself from." "The true nature appears": because it is covered by delusion, the true nature does not appear; because it does not appear, one cannot see the nature. Now, having departed from delusion, the nature appears before one; because it appears before one, one immediately attains sight of the nature. "The preceding three..." below distinguishes the difference with the preceding. Below it says: "All sentient beings are not called enlightened, because from the beginning they have never departed from thought." Since thought remains and one is obstructed by thought, how could one be said to see the nature of mind? The Renwang [jing] says: "From the forbearance of subduing up to the samādhi of vows, illuminating the primary truth is not called seeing; what is called seeing is sarvajña." "The preceding three..." below recounts the preceding stages: the karmic consciousness is the root of arising and ceasing; since the preceding have not yet departed from it, how could they be called eternally abiding? "Now the arising..." below distinguishes this stage: previously, one merely awakened from a dream within a dream; now, these dream-thoughts are completely exhausted, which is called the great awakening, and only then is it called eternally abiding. The Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: "Like awakening from a great dream"—this is precisely the meaning.